Over-the-top (OTT) services in general include a wide range of content delivery through software applications running on user devices and through third-party services that are independent of the underlying communication infrastructure technology. An OTT call service delivers in particular at least one of voice, messaging, and video services to its subscribers. Some examples of OTT call services are Skype, Google Hangouts, Viber, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Apple Facetime, WhatsApp, and SnapChat.
From an end-user subscriber's perspective, an OTT service is received over the Internet, but delivery is not controlled (e.g., switched, etc.) directly by the end-user's communication service provider, which merely acts as a data “pipe” in this case. Accordingly, OTT service is accessed directly through an Internet-connected user device, which is also referred to as a “telecommunication endpoint” or just “endpoint.” Examples of such endpoints are personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other web-enabled devices.
FIG. 1 depicts telecommunications system 100 in the prior art, which comprises the aforementioned elements. In particular, telecommunications system 100 comprises Internet 101, communication service provider networks 102-1 through 102-4, local area networks 103-1 and 103-2, and telecommunication endpoints 104-1 through 104-7, interrelated as shown.
Internet 101 represents the Internet, the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link billions of user devices and networking devices worldwide.
Communication service provider (CSP) network 102-i, wherein i as depicted has a value of between 1 and 4, inclusive, is a network that transports information electronically. CSP network 102-i provides user devices of its end users—for example, endpoints 104-1 through 104-7—with access to Internet 101. CSP network 102-i can also provide each endpoint with connectivity to one or more other endpoints, either through Internet 101 or not. In some operating environments, CSP network 102-i provides such access to a local area network (LAN), such as LAN 103-1 or 103-2, which in turn provides access to the end user.
Telecommunication endpoint 104-k, wherein k as depicted has a value of between 1 and 7, inclusive, is a user device that enables its user (e.g., human, machine, etc.) to telecommunicate with resources within Internet 101, with other endpoints, and/or with other resources within telecommunications system 100.
At least some of the endpoints depicted in FIG. 1 are capable of executing one or more OTT software applications or “apps”. An OTT app enables the endpoint, and thus its user, to access the corresponding OTT call service, as a called party or a calling party in a given call. By processing a call via an OTT app, an endpoint uses the CSP network infrastructure to access the Internet, in order to access the corresponding OTT call service to complete the call. This is, in contrast, to the endpoint relying directly on the host CSP network itself to handle at least some of the call control and switching of the call. In other words, an OTT-based call is transparent to the host CSP network, other than for providing exchanging of data between the endpoint and the Internet-based OTT call service platform.
FIG. 2 depicts Internet 101 within telecommunications system 100. Internet 101 comprises one or more call service platforms, including computer system 201 within OTT data center 202. System 201 provides the administration and control of a given OTT call service.
Data center computer system 201 receives data from computer systems 202-1, 202-2, and 202-3 within OTT Points-of-Presence (PoP) 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 respectively. Each PoP acts as an access point to the OTT call service for end users within a given geographic region. Furthermore, computer system 201 aggregates the data for use in providing the OTT call service to one or more of the endpoints depicted in FIG. 1. OTT PoP computer system 203-1 is situated in a first geographic region (e.g., Europe, etc.) and monitors changes in one or more connection characteristics for all subscribing endpoints being served by CSP networks 102-1 and 102-2 within the first geographic area. OTT PoP computer system 203-2 is situated in a second geographic region (e.g., Asia, etc.) and monitors changes in one or more connection characteristics for all subscribing endpoints being served by CSP network 102-4 within the second geographic area. And OTT PoP computer system 203-3 is situated in a third geographic region (e.g., Americas, etc.) and monitors changes in one or more connection characteristics for all subscribing endpoints being served by CSP network 102-3 within the third geographic area.
FIG. 2 depicts a configured in which a single OTT call service is provided. In reality, many OTT call services are available, as enumerated above, and a given user may use multiple OTT call services, in part by having multiple OTT apps loaded on his device. As a result, the Internet 101 accommodates more than the one OTT call service depicted.
In order to connect a call through an OTT call service, multiple factors are typically considered. For example, one or more connection characteristics can be taken into account, in order to ensure that it is appropriate for a given OTT call service to handle a call to a given subscriber at a given moment in time. Such connection characteristics include the access network type that an endpoint is presently capable of accessing, the quality (e.g., signal strength, etc.) of each candidate access network, the presence status of the end user, and whether the user is even opted in to the OTT service.
Computer system 201 within central OTT data center 202 can provide subscriber-related information, such as subscriber identifiers, to a different processing system within Internet 101, typically in a batch format. Computer system 201 can also provide at least some of the connection characteristic information disclosed above to the other processing system.
In regard to connecting a call from an originating endpoint of a calling party to a terminating endpoint of a called party, a telecommunications system that includes one or more OTT call services, such as system 100, provides additional flexibility as to how the call may be connected. For example, the call can be delivered to the terminating endpoint of the called party through any of the one or more OTT call services to which the called party is subscribed, or through the intrinsic call service of the called party's communication service platform, such as CSP network 102-i. Consequently, however, the complexity of the telecommunications system also increases. For example, and as mentioned earlier, the telecommunications system has to also account for the connection characteristics, which can change frequently and continually.